Not Gonna Get Us
by SamanthaRose
Summary: A revised version of the story of Tol'ray and Hi'kari, a troll and a human facing odds as they simply try to live their life together.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Not Gonna Get Us

One had survived...

Clear blue eyes stared out at him from behind the tree, and he was thankful for the rain that poured down around him, disguising the tears that were streaming down his turquoise cheeks.

The human girl stepped out from behind the tree, standing before him with her hands clasped in front of her. She stared up at him... she looked so pitiful, so weak. She was two feet shorter than him with limp, mousey brown hair that was matted with mud and rain, her face blotchy from crying. Her skin was pink...

She was just a human, and just a girl for that matter, but here, despite the carnage that lay behind them on the road, he was afraid of her.

She started speaking, bleating out something in her own language that he didn't understand. Trembling, he shook his head, stepping back, trying to keep her from coming any closer to him. When she stepped forward, once again speaking, he growled in discontent. Her face held shock when he reached out, pushing her roughly to the ground. Pulling a crude dagger from the belt at his waist, he moved to stand over her, shouting at her.

"Dis no' yo' place! Choo no' welcome he'a'!!" He shouted in orcish, knowing she wouldn't understand, and she cried out in terror as he raised his hand over his head, dagger clutched in it. She tried to find something to defend herself with, hands and feet scrabbling at the mud beneath her, but there was nothing there. He snarled again, watching her hide her eyes behind muddy hands as she waited for the killing blow to come, to deliver her into the embrace of death... so she could be with her father again. So she could be with her mother again...

For a long moment, the only sound was the rain thundering down around them, and neither of them moved. After that long moment, the human girl peeked between her fingers, and saw the troll looming over her, shoulders shaking, hands at his sides.

He hadn't killed her... he couldn't kill her.

Gripping handfuls of muddy grass, she dragged herself away, out from underneath him, but he didn't move. He simply stood in the rain, small sobs of pain and fear escaping him.

Why hadn't he killed her? She supposed... there was nothing that would achieve.

Gutteral voices filted up the road towards them, and she found herself looking at the troll in desperation, pleading to him silently. To her surprise, his orange eyes flickered open, turning to her, boring into her.

He then reached down, seizing the front of her dress and hauling her from the mud she lay in. She let out a squeak as he wrapped one strong arm around her, reaching up with the other to take hold of a tree branch. Using his powerful legs and his free arm, he scaled the tree, dragging her up with him. They settled onto a high branch, the troll pulling the human girl close and pressing a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream as two orcs shuffled into view. Both of them were clad in dull chain mail armor, one of them carrying a large war axe, and together, they began to wander through the killing fields, trying to find any survivors.

After speaking to one another briefly, the orcs began to drag the corpses about, lining the Horde bodies up and tossing the Alliance bodies into a pile nearby. Several more orcs joined them from the Crossroads, these ones beginning to dig a pit by the side of the road. The Alliance bodies were thrown in... when the rain stopped, he supposed they would be burned.

In his arms, the human girl was quietly crying, watching as they stripped corpses bare, flinging them without respect into the pit. He supposed her parents must have been in there...

He watched as they sorted the bodies, and upon seeing his parents lined up with the other trolls, he realized that both he and the little human girl were alone.

The orcs stood about until the rained stopped, at which point in time, the sun was beginning to near the horizon. Oil was added to the pit, a lot of oil, and one of the orcs easily set the corpses on fire, several of them laughing as they watched the flames reach into the sky.

The troll boy and the human girl had no choice but to stay in the tree that night, as the orcs weren't making any move to leave the pit. A wagon came in the dark to take the corpses of the Horde away to the Crossroads, and with it, the orcs went.

At that point in time, the girl had cried herself to sleep, so the boy had no choice but to stay in the tree, too. It was uncomfortable... but it was trivial, he told himself, as he watched the smoldering ashes in the pit. His discomfort meant nothing.

Night became day, and the rains again came. It was his voice that stirred her from sleep, and as she shifted, she suddenly felt empty space beneath her, gasping as she started to fall. Her descent was stopped as the troll grabbed the back of her tattered dress, dragging her back up on the branch and barking something at her in a scolding tone.

He moved so she was against the tree trunk, then gestured at her strangely. She blinked at him, watching him leap down from the branch and disappear into grass.

She needed to relieve herself... But with him gone, she was too scared to come down, so she told herself she could wait until he came back. Moments seemed to stretch on forever, and when she finally couldn't any longer, she decided to be brave.

She slipped part of the way down the tree, falling into the mud below, tears streaming down her filthy cheeks. She pulled herself out of the mud, looking around for a place hidden enough to relieve herself. When she returned, she found she wasn't strong enough to get back up into the tree, so she opted to crouch in the mud beneath the tree, hiding in a silverleaf bush.

That's where he found her when he returned, though it was only her snivelling that allowed him to find her. He dropped the rabbit he was holding and sighed, reaching into the bush to drag her to her feet. He looked her over, curling his nose up at how filthy she was, but as she did the same thing to him, he realized how filthy he must have been, too. He had intended to have the rabbit for breakfast, but he supposed getting clean was the first thing they should have been doing.

There was a small pool nearby with water clean enough to wash with, and the two of them managed to scrub themselves clean, knowing they wouldn't be able to keep too clean with the rain turning all the earth to mud.

Afterwards, the troll gestured to the rabbit, using his knife to skin it. He offered part of it to the girl, who shook her head, face turning a bit pale. He frowned, wondering why she didn't want his gift, but he soon realized as she began to search for a dry place that she didn't want to eat it without cooking it first. They sought refuge beneath one of the larger trees, one of the ones that had branches and leaves leaning over to offer shade from the sun and refuge from the rain.

There, she gathered together some grass and wood, and used her magic to start a fire. They exchanged a smile, and he was the first to hurriedly look away, startling when she reached out with one tiny pink hand to touch his arm.

He looked back at her, questioning her silently, and she smiled again in a shy way.

"Hikari." He heard her say, and she pointed to herself. "Hikari."

"Hi'kari." he repeated, the word feeling so strange on his tongue. She smiled and nodded, pointing to herself again, and he realized that this word was her name. Her name was Hi'kari. She settled back on her heels, looking at him curiously, expectantly, chewing on a piece of rabbit meat.

He thought for a moment, then decided, at this point in time, there was no harm in telling her his name in return. They were stuck here alone together, weren't they? What harm could come of him telling her his name?

So just as shyly, he nodded to her, raising a hand to point to himself.

"Tol'ray."


	2. Chapter 2

Hikari's eyes flew open and she sat up quickly, glancing around her to see if anyone had noticed her sleeping here, on the steps of the Town Hall of Lakeshire.

The mousey haired mage stood, stretching and yawning before smoothing her hands over the robes she wore, glancing at the mailbox beside her.

Still nothing... Sighing in defeat, she sat down again, leaning her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. The mail was late today... She couldn't very well sit around all day waiting for it! She had important things to do, after all.

People were flying in and out of town, walking around the docks surrounding the lakes, the vendors calling out about their wares, the fishermen setting up market. It was another normal day, unordinary like every one before it since she had come here. One of the guards paused, looking at her as she gazed out at the water with a smile on her face. He smiled, stepping closer.

"Hey there, beautiful... waiting for your letter?' He said softly, and Hikari looked up at him, blinking before she forced another smile.

"Of course. It is that day, y'know?"

"Who do those letters come from, anyway? Every man in town is curious about who holds your heart, Hikari." He grinned at her, and she shook her head.

"Howe, I've told you before... the letters come from the love of my life, and you don't know him, nor will you ever, and even if he didn't exist, my heart still wouldn't belong to you."

Howe straightened with a dramatic sigh.

"Your insistance that I would never stand a chance with you wound me, Hikari. I'll leave you to your waiting." He flashed her another grin before walking off, looking once over his shoulder to see her expression turn rather grim. She stared down at the steps of the Town Hall, lips parted slightly and a frown creasing her brow. She slowly closed her eyes, remaining that way for a moment before looking back at the flight point.

Howe couldn't help the curiousity... he wanted to know who this mysterious man was that Hikari received letters from. He wanted to know who it was that could so easily put a smile on the girl's face.

Ever since she had come to the village, Hikari had been surrounded by mystery. Ten years ago, they had found her floating in the lake, nearly lifeless, and it had taken all the town's healers to nurse her back to health. She claimed she didn't remember where she had been born, where she had come from or how she ended up in the lake that way. She only remembered being with a friend, though she didn't remember his name, she said.

When she was strong enough to get out of bed and wander about the town, she quickly became a favorite among everyone who lived there. She was full of spirit and showed incredible promise as a mage, and she spouted poetry and rhymes just for fun. She knew how to ride horses and proved to be the best of all the children at hide and seek.

After a month of being back on her feet, she requested to send a letter to someone. It seemed that the name of her friend had returned to her, though she referred to him simply as 'Ray' and wouldn't say where he lived or how she knew.

The entire time, she continued to claim that she didn't remember her past... no one pressed the issue, and she continued to live in Lakeshire in peace. Any of the regulars knew where to find her every fourteen days as she stood next to the mailbox, waiting for her letter to come.

She didn't always respond to the letters, but she was always happy to see them, her face lighting up and a smile touching her lips as she read them. More often than not, they were incredibly brief, and written in a way that only she would understand. It became clear to everyone she didn't want to share this friend with anyone... he was her friend, her love, and no one else was allowed to know him.

"Ms. Hikari, Ms. Hikari! I'm so sorry..." The mail carrier hurried towards the Town Hall, panting lightly as though he had been running. He held out a letter to her, and she snatched it away with a small sound, clutching it close. "I was running a little late, please forgive me."

"It doesn't matter when the letter gets here, it just matters that it gets here." She chirped, opening the letter after murmuring a thank you. The letter carrier also paused to watch her before moving on with a slight smile.

The smile on Hikari's face didn't last, however, as she read the letter, one hand raising slowly to press against her mouth. The letter crumpled in her fist and she hurried down the stairs of the Town Hall, running across the docks towards the Inn. Several people were pushed out of the way as she rushed to the fireplace, standing for a moment in front of it before holding her hand out. Her clenched fingers loosened and she let the letter tumble out of them, watching as the fire devoured it eagerly.

Behind her, people had stopped to stare, wondering what could have been on the letter to prompt her to burn it, wondering why tears were streaming down her cheeks, why her hand was still pressed so tightly to her mouth.

One of the guards, one of the only female guards in town, touched Hikari's shoulder, startling her. Her name was Holly Clarke, and since Hikari had arrived in the town, she had been like an older sister to her, watching over her and never questioning her actions, no matter how strange.

"Kari... did something happen with your friend? Is he okay?" She asked, and Hikari turned to look at her. After a long moment, the girl finally nodded, moving her hand and taking in a deep breath. She sighed as though in relief, her smile returning despite the tears that continued to flow down her cheeks.

"Oh Holly... he's coming to see me..."

Tol'ray and Hi'kari had stayed together after that day, Hi'kari teaching Tol'ray Common as he taught her Orcish so they could at last understand one another. He hunted for them, snuck into town to get food and clothing, and protected their small camp. She fashioned a sort of tent from the skins of the animals he caught, made repairs to their belongings, kept the fire lit and cooked for them.

The bond they shared had slowly become friendship instead of dependence, and over the two years they were together there, it blossomed just as slowly into something more.

The deciding day came when an orc woman stumbled across the tent and saw Hi'kari... Tol'ray had no choice but to kill her, much to Hi'kari's horror. She helped to dig the pit they buried the body in, and together they buried the orc woman in silence.

They both decided it was time for them to return to their separate worlds... it was time for Hi'kari to go back to the humans, and it was time for Tol'ray to return to the Crossroads. They had to go back where they belonged.

When they had destroyed their camp, they stood near the tree where they had first met, both of them crying because they were unsure when the next time they would see each other was. Hi'kari bravely took a breath, gesturing for Tol'ray to kneel so she could embrace him. He was nearly two feet taller than her already, even though they were both only ten years old.

"I promise to write." She whispered close to his ear as she embraced him, brushing her fingers lightly over his braided blue mane. "Every two weeks, at least, so we don't lose touch."

He nodded in reply, words failing him, and his eyes widened in surprise when she leaned in, kissing him sweetly. She shyly pulled away, cheeks flushed, a giggle escaping her throat.

"I wanted to do that... before your tusks got too big. Next time we see each other, they will be bigger, right?'

"I would hope so." He said with a laugh, and after another sweet kiss, they hurried down the road to Ratchet. There, he watched her walk down the dock and get on the boat to the other continent, raising his hand to wave to her one last time before she disappeared from view.


	3. Chapter 3

Howe paused in the doorway of the barracks with a frown on his face upon seeing Holly Clarke inside, staring out the window without really seeing anything.

"Something the matter, Clarke?" He asked as he finally stepped into the room, startling the woman from her thoughts. She sighed gently, moving away from the window to take up an empty seat.

"Come... sit down." She gestured to the seat across from her and Howe nodded, moving to seat himself as well. "It's time I told you something... about Hikari."

Howe's expression was strange... curious and hesitant, worried and eager all at once. Holly took in a breath.

"She's been having nightmares lately. She'll wake up in the middle of the night, screaming in another language, thrashing around in bed as if something is attacking her. I've asked her, but you know her... she insists she doesn't remember what the dreams are about, or why she's crying out in a different language. She claims she can only speak Common..." Holly ran her fingers through her wavy blonde hair, closing her eyes briefly. "I hate to say it, Howe, and I feel I'm only confirming what everyone else knows, but I think Kari's lying. She knows more than she's letting us know. I think there's more to this... 'Ray' than she's letting on."

"What are you thinking, Clarke?"

"I'm thinking... I need to do something more dishonest than anything I've ever done before. The same letter carrier comes to Lakeshire every two weeks. The same man delivers the letters for Hikari... I'm going to stop him, next time, and speak to him. I'm going to ask him..."

"To read the letter?"

They sat in silence for a moment, Holly finding sudden interest in the top of the table, Howe swallowing several times before taking a breath to speak.

"Let me do it. I don't want you to get too involved, it will only hurt Hikari more if... actions need to be taken." Holly regarded him in surprise, but eventually nodded, relaxing a bit. "Who do you think the letters are coming from?"

"Someone she doesn't want us to know, that's obvious. I'm thinking..."

"He's not human."

"More, he's not even from our faction. He's not part of the Alliance, and that's why she burned her last letter. He's coming to see her, and she doesn't want anyone to know when, or where. She doesn't want us to see him."

Hikari was buying some tailoring supplies when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, turning with a slight smile to face the mail carrier.

"Oh?" She said in surprise when he handed her a letter with a laugh.

"It came really early this time... only a few days since your last one, Ms. Hikari!" He remarked, and Hikari nodded, her brow furrowing slightly. She shifted the load she carried, a bundle of pink silk and thread, looking the letter over.

"Thank you very much..." She murmured, paying the vendor and making her way back to the Inn. She moved up to her room without a word to the others around her, setting her supplies in a chair and closing the door before sitting on her bed to open the letter.

It was scrawled hastily in Tol'ray's handwriting, and she could hear the urgency of the words as she read them.

Hi'kari,

Love, there's a raid on it's way to Lakeshire, a fortnight before they reach you. Be safe, Hi'kari, be safe...

Holly looked up in shock when Hikari came flying into the room, hands trembling, eyes red and breath short. She looked around, and upon spotting Holly, ran to her with a cry, shoving a letter towards her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She cried. "I know I'm not supposed to be in here, but..."

Holly was staring at the note with wide eyes, and she sucked in a sharp breath before raising her voice in alarm.

"Howe, Ashlocke! Get in here, now!"

They allowed Hikari to stay in the room as they discussed what to do about the coming raid, wondering how long they had now before it got there. They pondered when the letter might have been sent, and came up with a plan to keep the town patrolled at all hours of the day. Everyone who could carry a sword were to be on standby, and they knew now that Stormwind wouldn't send anyone to their aid.

That's why the Horde would hit here... it was an easier target for them. Hikari listened to them with tears streaming down her cheeks, looking more worried than Holly had ever seen her look before.

"Every Horde member that comes into the town... give them no quarter. They all die by our swords when they arrive. We can't afford to lose anyone in the town, there's not enough of us as it is, and our forces have been thinned out already by the Blackrock." Holly heard Howe say, her eyes remaining on Hikari in an attempt to see her reaction. The girl grew paler, and she raised her hand slowly to press against her mouth once more. Holly swallowed, straightening and looking over at the others.

"Continue the discussion..." She took Hikari's arm in her hand, helping her stand and moving from the room with her in tow.

Hikari opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Holly closed the door heavily, her back to the girl. Hikari shut her mouth again, swallowing hard as Holly finally turned to face her, eyes closed.

"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, Hikari."

"If it's about the letters..."

"It's more than just letters now, Hikari. It's letters, dreams, and your past, the fact you can speak Orcish," She watched Hikari turn just a shade paler at this, "and the curiousity of how your love knew about this raid..."

"He probably just saw them and..."

"Unless he lives very far from the rest of civilization, Hikari, then people would have already moved to STOP THEM if they had been seen! Stop lying to me!" Holly sucked in a sharp breath to calm herself before continuing. "... this person you've been writing to... I have good reason to believe that he's not part of the Alliance."

Hikari didn't say anything... she sat heavily in a chair, hand pressed to her mouth, eyes shut tight, trembling. Holly regarded her for a long time before crouching down in front of her, waiting for an answer.

"You think..." Hikari whispered. "You think he's part of the Horde? He's not part of the Horde, Holly... they're savages, they're horrible. Ray isn't like that, he's not like that at all. He's just mine... he's mine and no one elses, and I'm worried that... If you know him, see him, you'll try to take him like everything else was taken."

"What do you mean?"

"I hate the Horde, Holly. I hate them. They took everything from me. They took my family, took my past, took my future. They killed my parents, then burned their bodies in a big pit. They took everything I owned and destroyed it. The Horde destroyed my life, why would I EVER let myself love one of them?"

For a moment, Holly was silent, searching Hikari's face. She knew now that Hikari HAD lied, about knowing about her past, but there was no lie in her words. Whoever this man was, he wasn't part of the Horde. Something in her was still uncertain, but she felt slightly more at ease about the whole thing.

"I trust you, Hikari... I trust you." She whispered, taking Hikari's hand in hers. Hikari managed a weak smile.

"I have to make my dress now. He's coming to see me, and I want things to be perfect." She said in a detached way, standing and moving out of the room again. Holly didn't stop her, she just watched her go, feeling slightly sick inside.

It had to be done... for the good of Hikari and everyone around her, everyone who loved her. But why did it have to hurt so much?


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't until a week later that Holly saw Hikari again, the girl buying more thread from the vendor near the town hall. She paused on the docks behind the girl, wanting to speak but unsure of what to say. She wanted to appologize for her accusitions, but she was afraid that it would only hurt Hikari's feelings to bring it up again.

Hikari was glowing... she seemed so happy, more happy than she had in a very, very long time. Seeing this man again was obviously something very important to her, and Holly didn't feel like ruining the effect by dredging up old, bad feelings.

Hikari turned after paying the vendor, stopping briefly upon seeing Holly standing there. They stood in silence a moment, then Hikari flashed a bright smile, walking over to Holly.

"My dress is almost done. You should come over later and see it." She said, Holly feeling her heart skip in relief. "That is, if you're not too busy with the patrols."

"Not too busy to spare you a moment, little sister."

Hikari smiled brightly again, nodding and heading off to the Inn once more to finish with her tailoring. Holly stood on the docks with her eyes closed...

She didn't deserve the forgiveness.

Howe paused beside her, putting a hand on her arm.

"Holly... I spoke with the mail carrier." He murmured this low enough that only she could hear, and she simply offered a nod in return. "He's... on his way."

Turning her head sharply, Holly stared at him in confusion.

"On his way, why?"

"Because... there's another letter, Holly. And he did as I asked him to... I'm sorry, Holly, but it seems what Hikari said is-"

"Shut up!" Holly snapped, Howe blinking and stammering for a moment before Holly stormed towards the flight point. He watched her go, brow furrowed, then glanced towards the Inn.

The mail carrier yelped in surprise as, shortly after he landed, someone approached him, grabbing his arm rather roughly.

"Hikari's letter... where is it?" She snarled, and the letter carrier squeaked before hurrying to rummage through his pouch.

"I-I-I... just one m-moment... Right here, t-take it!" He handed a slightly crumpled looking letter to her, and she snatched it away, turning on her heel to storm off over the bridge again. "I guess... my work here is done then?" He said it mostly to himself, turning back to the flight master, who offered him a sympathetic smile.

When Holly burst into her room, Hikari had just finished putting on the dress she had spent all week making. She turned in surprise to the door, her face lighting up upon seeing who it was.

"Oh! You're just in time, I..." She slowly stopped upon seeing the look on Holly's face, frowning. "Is... is something wrong, Holly?"

The woman didn't speak, she simply closed the door behind her. Outside, the sun had begun to set.

"Hikari." Holly's voice was thick with emotion, and Hikari felt her heart begin to pound a little faster. "You lied to me."

"I... I what?"

Holly held one gauntletted hand out, holding in it a crumpled letter, her face dark. Hikari stared at the letter in horror, turning her eyes to Holly's face once more. Fury was flashing in her eyes... fire was burning in them, and she stalked across the room to snatch the letter away.

"You said you trusted me, Holly! Who is the liar now?" She spat, smoothing the letter.

"Why did you lie to me?" Holly spoke softly now. "Why did you lie to me about him?"

Hikari didn't answer, she simply opened the letter, turning her back to Holly to read it.

It was written in orcish... it was a warning, and it told her where to meet him. It told her where he would be, where she could find him.

"Who is Tol'ray, really, Hikari?" Holly spoke from behind her, and Hikari closed her eyes for a moment before answering the question.

"As I've said... many times before. He's the love of my life. He is mine..."

Holly watched her turn back to face her, saw that she was trembling, saw that the fire in her eyes had burned away and that she was no longer angry. Her voice had changed, she sounded determined now, as if she had come to some sort of a decision.

"So he may be, but who is he, Hikari?"

They both looked towards the window as warning bells began to go off, as shouts began to ring from the people of the town. Hikari's eyes widened and Holly growled deeply, turning to go.

"You're staying in your room, Hikari... I'm sorry, but I can't let you go out there, it's too dangerous."

"But... I'm supposed to be meeting him!" Hikari protested, Holly pausing to look over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Hikari, but it's not safe."

"I'm sorry too."

This made Holly pause, and she opened her mouth to speak, frowning and turning to face Hikari once more. The girl's staff flashed towards her, and she couldn't bring her arms up in defense before she was struck across the face with it, letting out a muffled grunt of pain as she fell to the ground.

Stunned, she could do nothing more than watch Hikari step over her, running from the room and leavnig her lying on the floor. She groaned, trying to pull herself up.

"Hikari!!"

As if on cue, rain began to pour down as the Horde came up over the hill leading down into the town. They didn't pause for long before rushing the line of guards and townsfolk weilding weapons. The two groups met as thunder crashed, and screams echoed out over the town.

In the midst of it all, unwittingly, Hikari wandered. She wore a cloak over her dress to keep the rain off of it, but mud still splashed her skirt. As she stared around the town in horror, she couldn't help remembering when she and Tol'ray had met.

It seemed... far too much like that day. Everything about this reminded her of that day.

She moved closer to the Inn again, remembering that Holly was still inside and ducking to the side of the entrance. She pressed herself close to the wall to escape the rain briefly, eyes wide as she took in what was going on. Huge, dark shapes moved about in the darkness, the smaller forms of the townsfolk darting in and out among them. Bellows and gutteral cries joined the screams of the humans, magic lit up the sky like lightning did.

She was unaware that someone was behind her until she felt a large hand close over her arm, the scream in her throat catching as she was pulled forcefully backwards against a hard, warm body. A hand pressed over her mouth, and as something brushed past her ear, she gasped hoarsly, struggling to try and escape.

"Qui' yo' squi'min', gi'lie... don'choo remembah me?" A voice spoke very softly to her, and suddenly the only thing holding her up was the arm around her waist. Her legs gave out from under her and she let out a sigh, opening her eyes to look up at the troll she had waited ten years to see again.

She returned to the battlefield too late... by the time she got outside, Hikari was out of sight. Still staggering from the blow she had taken, Holly quickly looked around, putting a hand to her head.

It was hard to see through the rain and the mass of bodies moving together in battle, and she almost missed the flash of pink disappearing around the side of the Inn. Jaw set in detemination, Holly moved towards the Inn once more, loosing her crossbow from her back.

"Hikari!!" She shouted, the sound drowned out by the battle. She quickly fit a bolt into the crossbow, waiting for her chance, watching the hills behind the Inn so she wouldn't miss them.

No, not them... so she wouldn't miss him.


	5. Chapter 5

Hikari could hardly keep her eyes off him as they moved up into the hills behind the Inn, a laugh escaping her throat as he reached down and easily lifted her, setting her on more stable ground.

He was still so much taller than her, and he had grown so handsome in the ten years they had been apart. His tusks were much longer now, and muscles rippled beneath his turquoise skin. His hair was much darker now, she supposed it was to help him blend in with his surroundings.

"I like yo' dress... choo make it yo'self, yah?" He shouted over the sound of the rain, Hikari nodding eagerly in reply. Her smile faded ever so slightly as Tol'ray looked down towards the town, making a distressed noise. "Dis is bad... choo shouldn' be seein' dis. C'mon, le's keep goin'."

He turned to continue up the hill, Hikari gasping in the darkness before him. She said his name in desperation and he turned back hurriedly, following her gaze to the town below.

A single guard, a woman, stood with a crossbow in her hands, looking directly at them. Tol'ray felt his heart beginning to thunder harder than before, growling softly under his breath.

"Oh no, it's Holly." Hikari said breathlessly, putting her hand on his arm and shoving him. "Tol'ray, run... just run!"

"No! I'm on' leavin' choo behin', I been wai'in' ten ye'a's fo' dis day." He reached down to pick her up, a crossbow bolt flying between them and slamming into the dirt of the hill. Hikari let out a cry, stumbling backwards, and Tol'ray reached out to grab the front of her dress, dragging her upright again. As he did so, Hikari threw her weight against him, and blood sprayed across his face as a crossbow bolt hit her in the arm. She screamed in agony, her hand gripping his arm tightly, and he growled again, turning to look directly at the woman with the crossbow.

As he turned, Hikari cried his name again, feeling his grip on her loosen as he jerked. She stumbled again, feet sliding in the mud so that she fell. She looked up at Tol'ray through the rain, seeing him standing rather still on the hill above her. He had a crossbow bolt jutting from his shoulder... with a roar, the troll tore the bolt away, throwing his head back and howling his fury to the sky. She felt her blood roaring in her ears, matching the beat of her heart and the throbbing pain of the bolt in her arm.

Another crossbow bolt slammed into Tol'ray's chest, followed shortly by another that slammed into his stomach, blood trickling from his mouth as he let out a grunt of pain. Hikari felt something warmer than the rain splatter against her face, her eyes wide in horror.

She remembered calling out his name before he fell... she remembered seeing Holly's shining armor just before the darkness took her.

The guards dragged survivors to the Inn for healing, and the Horde left no corpses of their own behind as they retreated up the hill away from the town. Mounted Guards persued them to make sure they weren't planning to return...

Rain still thundered down on the town, setting the grim mood for the chaos after the battle.

Howe found Holly standing on a hill behind the Inn, standing over Hikari's limp form, spitting a string of colorful curses. Beside them, the body of a troll lay in the red mud, half dead... Howe found himself feeling hatred for the creature, knowing now that it was him that put a smile on Hikari's face. A troll... a filthy, savage troll.

"What now?" He asked Holly, shouting to be heard above the thunder and rain. Holly looked over at him, her eyes red, and though he couldn't see her tears, he could tell she was crying.

"You take the troll to the barracks... lock him up, I don't care what you do to him otherwise, as long as he's locked up after. I'm taking Kari back to the Barracks, too."

"What will happen to her?"

Holly shook her head, reaching to pick up Hikari's limp body before turning away. Howe watched her make her way back down the hill, looking down at the troll again. Growling, he grabbed the creature's arm and began to drag him back towards the barracks, not heeding the blood that smeared itself across the docks as he walked.

The other guards held the writhing troll down as Howe stood over him, all of them jeering and calling the creature names.

"Shut up! Stop your snarling, you pathetic wreck!" Howe shouted. "This is for the good of a girl who deserves better than a savage like you!"

He took a handful of the troll's dark hair, dragging his head back with one hand as the other held a tool used to pry bolts from wood and metal.

"This is for Hikari! And for all of us who love her!"

Holly stood across the room watching, silent, not moving to stop or to help. She stood next to the table where the still unconscious girl lay, her hand resting over Hikari's. She didn't avert her eyes... she didn't care what happened to Tol'ray now. Both he and Hikari should have known better. They should have known period that this was never going to work. She didn't know why they had this bond, she didn't know why Hikari had chosen, of all things, a troll.

She didn't care if she never found out, this couldn't exist. The bond had to be broken... the troll had to be broken.

Tol'ray was screaming, and there was the sickening sound, like a tooth not ready to be pulled being ripped from someone's mouth. Howe tossed a blood stained tusk to one side, leaning down again to finish the job with the other one. Holly turned her back to the scene, her stomach turning. She picked up Hikari again, looking back one more time before moving into the next room, to the next empty cell. She lay Hikari inside, stepping back and regarding her for a long moment before moving out of the cell. She closed the heavy door, locking it.

After that, she simply leaned against the bars, listening to the commotion in the next room. Howe was shouting above the troll's agonized screams, shouting things that made Holly sick down to her very core.

"Since you want to be with a human, you've got to look a little more like one, savage!"

Holly closed her eyes tightly again, allowing a sob to escape her as she continued to lean against the bars of the cell. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks... she pulled her gauntlets off to swipe at them, angry with herself for not doing anything sooner to find out more about the girl she had considered a sister for ten years.

Now it was too late to do anything but what she had to as a member of the Guard. Now the only thing she could do was wait for the day they put Hikari to death for treason alongside the troll she risked and lost everything for.

"For all your lies, for all the secrets, for all that you've done, Hikari, I'm sorry..." She gasped. "I'm so sorry..."

After they were done with the troll, the other guards dumped him into one of the cells, where he lay trembling, bleeding, weeping. They stationed a single guard at the door, figuring he was weak enough from blood loss to stay down for awhile longer. He would be down long enough for them to figure out what to do to him next.

It took a day for Hikari to wake up, and when she did, she found herself lying on the cold, stone floor of a cell, her breath catching. She was still alive... she was alone, though. Tol'ray wasn't with her.

Of course not, why would they have let him stay with her?

She heard movement outside the cell, tentatively moving herself to attempt to sit up. Pain shot up her arm, but she saw that it had been bandaged up and the crossbow bolt removed. Cradling it against her body, she pushed herself up with her other arm, looking out through the bars to see Holly sitting in a chair in the room beyond.

She looked like she hadn't slept, tired, filthy with red rimmed eyes, her armor still on. She regarded Hikari wordlessly for a long time, not moving to assist her as she made her way to the stone bench against the wall.

"Where is he?" Hikari's own voice startled her, because she barely recognized it. It was so hoarse and full of pain... She wanted water, but didn't want to ask.

"The troll? The one y ou told me wasn't part of the Horde?" Holly asked in reply. Hikari nodded, swallowing a few times to try and wet her dry throat. "He's in the next room. Tell me, why did you lie to me."

"I didn't lie to you. Not about Tol'ray."

"That's a lie, too, isn't it?"

"Holly, stop it. I didn't lie to you. I didn't." Hikari took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Her stomach was churning, she felt so incredibly ill. The pain was bad... "You know this. You know I didn't... Tol'ray didn't come with those other people, the Horde. He came to see me, and he was trying to take me away from all the killing. He was trying to get me away so I didn't have to see it."

She stood on shaky legs and made her way over to the wall, leaning against it as though she were trying to feel that he was there.

"I don't know if I can beleive that, Hikari. I really don't." Holly finally stood, moving over to peer at her through the bars. "I can't believe anything anymore."

"You don't trust me, then. That was a lie." Hikari whispered, and Holly let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"We can stand here all day and accuse one another of lying, or you can tell me the truth. The whole truth. Where you came from, how you ended up in the lake ten years ago, how you met that troll."

There was another long silence, then Hikari turned her eyes back to Holly, smiling bitterly.

"Very well. Sit down, Holly, and I will tell you how I lost everything."


End file.
